'Okolehao does not mean "alcohol" in Hawai'ian. It means "iron bottom". 'Okole is Hawai'ian for bottom and hao is Hawai'ian for iron. The name traces to the use by visiting whalers of the metal rendering pots to make improvised pot stills in the 1790's. Lots more lore in the Maui News.

Only beverages based on Ti root should be called 'Okolehao. There is no whiskey aspect to the Hawai'ian heritage- no barley, no rye, no corn. Ti root was the fermentable they had to work with.

Kudos to the author of the review, however, for bringing attention to an ancient and almost forgotten beverage!! The careful and thoughtful efforts to bring this discovery to everyone's attention should be applauded.

hjsargent wrote:'Okolehao does not mean "alcohol" in Hawai'ian. It means "iron bottom". 'Okole is Hawai'ian for bottom and hao is Hawai'ian for iron. The name traces to the use by visiting whalers of the metal rendering pots to make improvised pot stills in the 1790's. Lots more lore in the Maui News.